The Constitution's Ratification: What Elements Remained Unchanged?

The US Constitution, written in 1787 and ratified by nine of the original 13 states a year later, is the world's longest-surviving written constitution. The Founding Fathers intended the document to be flexible, and it has evolved since its ratification. The US did not begin to look and function as it does today until several years after the Constitution was ratified.

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The US Constitution is the world's longest-surviving written constitution

The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it soon became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.

The Constitution was not ratified by all states until 29 May 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year.

Since the Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791, Congress has passed just 23 additional amendments to the Constitution, and the states have ratified only 17 of them.

The US did not begin to function like it does today until several years after the Constitution's ratification

The Founding Fathers intended the document to be flexible in order to fit the changing needs and circumstances of the country. In the words of Virginia delegate Edmund Randolph, one of the five men tasked with drafting the Constitution, the goal was to "insert essential principles only, lest the operations of government should be clogged by rendering those provisions permanent and unalterable, which ought to be accommodated to times and events".

The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. That document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries, and it quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.

After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place from Monday, 15 December 1788, to Saturday, 10 January 1789, and the new government was set to begin on 4 March 1789. In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.

The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790

The US Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. The US Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified by nine of the original 13 states a year later. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. The Founding Fathers intended the document to be flexible in order to fit the changing needs and circumstances of the country.

The Constitution was still evolving, and Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted 12 on September 25, 1789, to send forth to the states for ratification. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year.

Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. The constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire. After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789. In the nation’s first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.

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The Bill of Rights was not ratified until the end of 1791

The US Constitution was ratified in 1788, but it took until the end of 1791 for the Bill of Rights to be ratified. The Bill of Rights is comprised of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which were proposed by Madison as part of the Massachusetts Compromise. The amendments were intended to protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

The US Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified by nine of the original 13 states a year later. It is the world's longest-surviving written constitution. However, it has not stayed the same over time. The Founding Fathers intended the document to be flexible in order to fit the changing needs and circumstances of the country.

The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.

Even after the Constitution's ratification, the US did not begin to look and function remotely like it does today until several years later. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.

The first federal elections were set to take place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, with the new government beginning on March 4, 1789

The US Constitution was ratified in 1788, but that doesn't mean it has stayed the same over time. The Founding Fathers intended the document to be flexible in order to fit the changing needs and circumstances of the country. The first federal elections were set to take place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, with the new government beginning on March 4, 1789. In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.

The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights, which was born from the Massachusetts Compromise, was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until December 15, 1791. Even after the Constitution's ratification, the US did not begin to look and function as it does today until several years later.

Congress has passed just 23 additional amendments to the Constitution since the Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791, and the states have ratified only 17 of them. The US Constitution is the world's longest-surviving written constitution.

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